Puzzle.



No. 727,800. PATENTED MAY 12,1903. N. D. INGRAM& F. H. WYANT.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION rmzn SEPT. e, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

WITNESSES:

INVENTORS ATTORNEYS m: scams mans cc. mmanrmu. WASMINGFONHD c.

Nrrn STATE Patented May 12, 1903.

' ATENT FFICE.

NATHAN D. INGRAM, OF NEl/V YORK, AND FREDERIG HENRY WYANT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PUZ-ZLEI SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters ratentno. 727,soo, datea'lvre 12, 1903.

Application filed September 6, 1902. Serial No. 122,286. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, NATHAN D. INGRAM,

residing in the borough of Manhattan,city and county of New York, and FREDERIO HENRY WYANT, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, county of Kings, State of New York, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Puzzles, of which the following'is'a invention has especial reference to the path or rolling-surface of such bodies;'and it con-' sists in the novel features which will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Two forms of construction embodying our invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l isa plan View of the improvement with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a crosssection of the same with a lid or cover applied thereto, the section being taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but, showing. somewhat different construction andalso showing the moving bodies in a difierent position.

V The rollingbodies or moving bodies which are employed in connection with our puzzle may be of any suitable character. In the drawings we have illustrated so-called tumblers.that is, hollow cylindrical bodies B,- generally made of transparent material, such as celluloid, and roun ed, at the ends, such hollow bodies containing balls A, which are free to roll within said bodies, so that upon inclining the surface on which these tumblers rest they will perform very erratic movements. The rolling-surface maybe made with a square base (1, from which rises an inclined and preferably conical surface D. When the base is square, as shown in Fig. 1, there will be four .horizontal surfaces adjacent to each of the corners of the base. Upright side walls E are located along the edges of the base and form a confining barrier to 50 limit the outward movement of the moving bodies B. At a suitable point of the inclined surface D, preferably at the top thereof, we locate an opening D, through which the bodies may drop into the space between the said inclined wall D and the base 0. In order to prevent therolling bodies from becoming jammed adjacent to the lower portion of the inclined wall D, we prefer to provide a barrier F, which may be simply a vertical 'wallextending all around, as shown in Figs. l and 2, or a comically-inclined wall F may be employed, being located'immediately adjacent to the opening D. V In order that the rolling bodies may not get lost and in order to facilitate the packing and shipping of the improved game apparatus,,we may provide a cover G, forming a closed box, together with the base 0 and upright wall E.

j The tumblers being placed upon the base O or upon the'lower portion of the inclined 7o "surface'D, it is the duty of the player to bring one ofthe rolling bodies after the other in an order previously agreed upon into the opening D. For this purpose the rolling bodies may be distinguished from each other by dif- 7 5, ferent colors or other marks. It will be obvious that it will be difficult to bring the rolling bodies intothe opening, for the reason that they areliable to shoot beyond it, and when the tumblers of they character shown 8o are employed'the' players task is obviously ter of the openingD is smaller than the length of the tumblers, and therefore said tumblers on can pass into the opening D only lengthwise or endwise, but cannot pass into' it crosswise or laterally. After all the rollingbodies havebeen brought inside the cone or, like surface- D they can be readily removed therefrom by 5 simply turning the apparatus upside down. The wall or barrier F or F prevents the rolling bodies from sticking between the base and the inclined surface D, and when the barrier extends directly to the opening D, as in Fig. IO: 3, the rolling bodies will drop out much more readily when the apparatus is inverted.

If desired, a suitable picture may be produced upon the surface of the cone D. For instance, the dome of the capitol might be represented thereon.

\Ve claim as our invention- 1. A puzzle comprising a hollow body with an inclined surface and an aperture leading into the interior of the body, and movable bodies adapted to roll on said inclined surface, said bodies comprising elongated holders, capable of a rolling motion, the aperture in the said body being of such width as to allow the holders to pass through it endwise but to prevent their entering laterally, and balls loosely contained within said holders, so as to be capable of running therein from end to end.

2. A puzzle comprising a hollow body with an inclined surface and an aperture leading into the interior of the body and movable bodies adapted to roll on said inclined surface, said bodies comprising elongated holders, capable of a rolling motion, the aperture in the said body being of such Width as to allow the holders to pass through it endwise but to prevent their entering laterally.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

NATHAN D. INGRAM. FBEDERIO HENRY WYANT. W'itnesses:

JOHN LOTKA, EUGENE EBLE. 

